‘No matter what, navigating the world (especially in a female way) is rough. Sophie wouldn’t be free of any of the trials and pressures that go with being “pink” in this society – but my hope for her would be to find her way and herself in whatever feels right.’: writer Alicky Hess & producer Tessa Walsh on the future after an artistic degree, professionally collaborating with friends and pink uterine apartments
Have you ever imagined what a fetus might go through while waiting to see the light of the world? Now, picture if this place is not simply a uterus, but a cosy pink apartment that you wish you would never leave, yet one day it starts leaking.
This is what the surrealist comedy “Pink Parts” is all about. Written by Alicky Hess, produced by Tessa Walsh and directed by Samantha Cade, the story follows Sophie, who is trapped in her shrinking apartment and forced to endure leaks, noisy Mozart-loving neighbours and existential dread. The play had its premiere at the SCENE + HEARD Festival on the 13th & 14th of February in Smoke Alley Theatre to a positive response and vibrant reaction from the audience.
I had the pleasure to become friends with writer Alicky Hess and producer Tessa Walsh during our shared time in the MA programme Writing for Stage and Screen in UCD and part of the CFA, so one rainy afternoon in a busy downtown cafe, I sat down with both of them, curious about their shared experience, the challenges they encountered during the production of the play and seeking advice for young artists who are at a crossroads in their careers after completing an artistic degree.
Alicky, we’ve been in the same writing MA, as well as Tessa, and the concept of Pink Parts was something that was initially developed by you in class from a prompt as a writing exercise. Out of all ‘assignments’, what was the reason this is the one that held your interest and eventually led to it being picked by you for Scene+Heard?
AH: Ultimately, this piece was the one best suited to be staged. A lot of my other works were more tv-conceptualised, so Pink Parts was a natural fit. The whole structure of Sophie talking directly to the audience, the comedic timing and overall feel was much more of a theatre performance than anything else.
Talk to us a little bit through the process of getting the confirmation to having the show’s premiere on Feb. 13. In terms of the writing process, how much of the project was altered once you started rehearsing?
AH: For the most part the application process was quite simple. When we heard that we’d been offered the opening slot for the festival in the Boy’s School, it was all systems go! Due to the nature of Scene+Heard, the turnaround time from application to performance is relatively short. A lot of our time was spent figuring out rehearsal schedules for multiple actors, so when we got in the room, there were only minor tweaks and changes of phrase to be added into the script.
TW: As soon as Alicky decided to apply for Scene+Heard, she asked me to be her
producer. The time between applying and getting that email in December, asking us if we could have the show ready for the first two nights of the festival seemed to fly, and then we had less than three months to actually make the show.
Alicky, you’re an experienced stage actor, what were the major differences (and challenges) between putting on a show that you’ve written compared to one you were performing in?
AH: Taking that step back as a writer was definitely more of a notable difference (and even a challenge at times). I’ve had the pleasure of having my written work in Scene+Heard in the past, but with also being an actor in it. This time, there was a real sense of letting go and letting the incredible team of actors and my amazing director Samantha Cade do what they do best!
Tessa, you’re a first-time producer on Pink Parts, what is something you wished you’d known in advance that other first-time producers should be aware of?
TW: As a first-time producer, I made sure to be open to anything, so there was nothing in
particular by which I felt blindsided or unprepared. However, what I realised very
early on in our creative process that a producer’s job, particularly in experimental
theatre, is anything and everything. From script editing to picking up blankets,
tumblers and pink buckets, everything was on the table. My advice for other hopeful
producers is to remain flexible and try to keep the show as simple as possible; at the
end of the day, it will make it easier for the whole team.
What would you consider the most challenging and the most rewarding aspect of putting a show in Scene&Heard? What would you give as a ‘heads up’ to people who are hesitant to apply?
AH: The challenge would definitely be the tight deadline and budget. Scene+Heard asks their creatives to work within quite specific parameters which definitely makes you think outside the box. This, though, comes with great opportunity to experiment within the requirements of the festival and the time slot allocated. If you’re thinking of applying, just know that it’s a festival of new and in-progress works. The idea is to experiment, so don’t be afraid to!
TW: Yeah, we can both agree that the most challenging part of the process was the tight
deadlines and budgets, not to mention getting the whole team in one room all at the
same time without the promise of remuneration (instead, they were bribed by toast
and pastries). For me, the most rewarding part was being able to see the real-time
reactions of the audience and our family and friends. The jokes landed, the timing
worked, and after the show, I overheard amazing feedback from other audience
members (who weren’t even emotionally obliged to compliment us, unlike our
mothers). Very simply, my advice for people considering applying for Scene+Heard
next year is, “go for it”. The festival is specifically for unseen works, to sound them
out and make improvements along the way. I know how it is to feel unprepared and
unexperienced, but Scene + Heard is an opportunity to dip your feet in the industry
and gain some applicable skills and make some great contacts.
On the scale of 1-10 how much you’d recommend people working with people they’re friends with in the first place? Pros and cons?
TW: If you can work with someone you already know and you have a healthy and
communicative relationship with that person, I absolutely recommend doing so.
Alicky and I have the ability to be critical of each other’s work without upsetting the
other. We know that advice is coming from a place of mutual respect and
admiration, and it almost goes without saying that we see real value and potential in
all of the work that we share with each other.
AH: Totally! It really depends on the nature of your friendship. I’ve been lucky in that through the years, my experience with working with friends has been a very good one. This is entirely due to the fact that before taking on a project together, we already had an understanding of what it is like to collaborate and give (occasionally harsh, but needed) critique to each other. We know the work comes first, and we know how to convey it. If you’ve got a strong enough bond and a clear way of expressing yourselves beforehand, I would definitely recommend working with friends. 10/10
So, to my understanding, you’d love to work with each other again, yes? What is a potential future project you’d like to collaborate on?
AH: Definitely! We have a great communication style and have the experience of being able to give honest feedback. As far as future projects, we have a few things in the works (still in their infancy!) But watch this space!
TW: We are always coming up with new ideas we’d love to collaborate on, and I am
hopeful that many of these projects will come to fruition at some point in the next
few years. This includes theatre, television, film, and other creative output we think
would get the people interested in Dublin.
Would you be interested in applying for Scene+Heard again? In all cases, would you like to explore a different artistic position in the future? Director etc.?
AH: Of course, I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with and been apart of the festival for many years, so I think it’s only natural to keep availing of the opportunities it presents! I’ve been a choreographer, make up artist, actor, writer and coordinator for various shows already so who knows what’ll happen next!
TW: Personally, I would love to submit a short play of my own for next year’s Scene +
Heard festival. And, if successful, I’ll certainly be asking Alicky to work with me on
this (and maybe a few more from our talented group of friends). Later on, I would love to try my hand at theatre direction, but I’m not quite sure I’m ready for that just yet. I would like to prioritise writing for the foreseeable future.
What’s the future for Pink Parts? Is it a self-contained piece or could we expect Sophie to return in some other form?
AH: Initially, I thought it would be a self-contained piece, but the audience response has been so positive that I’m excited to explore where Sophie may go. It would be a thrill to be able to fully realise Sophie’s home and her journey within it more and then see what develops from her after.
TW: I have my fingers (and toes) crossed for Alicky’s application to Dublin Fringe with
Pink Parts. If she is accepted, I’d love to be involved again and hopefully take
advantage of a bit more funding behind us. Maybe we could even get a pink velvet
armchair for Sophie’s cosy flat…
The three of us are recent alumni from an artistic MA that has definitely boosted not only our personal artistic development, but also our professional growth. What do you think people who’ve just graduated with a BA/MA or are about to graduate should expect in the following months?
TW: I think the most important thing to remember is that you have time. There’s no plan that has to be followed or goals that have to be completed by the time you’re a certain age. I came into this industry later than I thought I would have, after having studied languages for my bachelor’s and travelling in my early twenties. Instead of feeling like I’ve missed out on something, I’m trying to enjoy the chaos of doing something for the first time, like producing a play. It’s also important to make your own community; it’s much easier to achieve your goals with a support system of other creatives who understand the importance of working as a team and giving each other help and advice along the way.
The world is an ever-changing place, and we see some differences not only in the way women are being portrayed on stage/screen, but in general, women’s voices in this patriarchal society. Do you think Sophie would be okay once she’s ‘evicted’ into the world? What would you like her to know/give her advice?
TW: I do think Sophie has some fight in her, and I expect that she would carry that
through to adulthood. Unfortunately, it is still pretty tough to be a woman in this
world, especially with everything happening currently. I’d like to see Sophie with a
strong network of female-identifying friends and family to keep her afloat, because
that is truly the backbone of every woman’s personal and professional success.
AH: No matter what, navigating the world (especially in a female way) is rough. Sophie wouldn’t be free of any of the trials and pressures that go with being “pink” in this society – but my hope for her would be to find her way and herself in whatever feels right.
On a funny final note, Sophie has her pink blanket, but what’s an item you’d have loved to have in your ‘first’ uterine apartment? Would it be ‘pink’?
AH: Ironically, I don’t like pink that much (I know, I know… but it suited the show!) If money was no object, I’d go for a fully decked-out custom kitchen, but on a more realistic side, probably a modular couch. It’s the perfect piece of furniture, it’s comfy, it’s malleable, and it can accommodate a whole bunch of friends sitting on it! I’m not fussed about the colour, but it probably wouldn’t be pink. . .
TW: One thing I would love to have in my pink prenatal home is actually something I had in a previous apartment. It was a painting that was left on the side of our street by someone moving out who didn’t want it anymore. From far away, it looked like a mess of colourful swirls, but in the corner there was a tiny foetus in utero. I have no idea what the artist’s intention was for this picture, but I thought of that painting when Alicky first described this cosy pink home.
Poster by Alicky Hess
